The MSTAR Program offers medical students a rare opportunity to spend an eight-to-twelve week period of discovery in geriatrics and aging-related research, working with scientific leaders at some of the nation’s best medical schools.

Why is this important? During the next two decades, the number of older adults in the United States is projected to exceed 70 million. Yet according to a recent report from the American Geriatrics Society, geriatrics specialists are in critically short supply. As of 2010, there were only 7,590 certified geriatricians, representing one geriatrician for every 2,500 Americans 75 or older. To address these significant challenges, the field needs to attract more physicians into research, teaching, and clinical practice. That’s where MSTAR comes in.

The program introduces the best and brightest physicians-in-training to the field of geriatric medicine. Each of these future leaders gains experience by:

Conducting a research project. With the help of an assigned mentor, each MSTAR student sees a research project through from start to finish. Many even go on to publish their project papers in peer-reviewed journals or submit to present their research at scientific meetings.

Acquiring skills in the classroom. Practical lectures aid students in developing real skills for a career in research and geriatric care: writing, dynamic oral presentation, research methods, and more.

Working with patients. Scholars spend time each week working in a geriatrics clinic or attending rounds in a hospital, nursing home, or palliative care facility—or even making housecalls. This early exposure to clinical geriatrics not only enhances their care of older patients in the long run, but also serves to engage them as program ambassadors to encourage others to enter the field.

100% of your donation is used for scholarships, so whatever amount you can contribute goes directly to a student’s scholarship. For $6,000 you can fully sponsor a student in the program; MSTAR scholars receive a monthly stipend, as well as a stipend for travel to the AGS meeting. This modest investment can yield an impressive return—a lifelong career in geriatric medicine that will improve the care and well-being of the growing number of older patients.

Please consider making geriatrics your priority by making a contribution to AFAR today to support the MSTAR Partners Fund.